This is where we live...

Everybody's Coming to My Party!

As I said in the previous post, we had Mary Fran and Ward's birthday party this past Saturday. It was a wonderful day with our family and friends, yummy hamburgers, and great weather.

I sent out, as usual, Evite invitations and Mary Fran chose the "princess crown" one while the girls and I decided to send out a monkey one for Ward. I based their cakes off of the invitations but as you can see the monkey actually turned into a bear. Maybe I should try to take some art classes. :)
Mary Fran, with photographer in residence Aunt Molly, right before the cake singing/cutting/eating time.

"Thank you for coming to my party and singing to me."

We just couldn't let that "candle icing" go to waste!

Our buddy, Heath, came with his family. We just can't wait until tomorrow when our "homeschool preschool" starts back up and we get to see Heath, Joseph, Julia Kate, and Mrs. Candace regularly again!

After the cake and ice cream were eaten, we roasted marshmallow over the smoldering charcoals from the grill. From what I understand Grayson's girlfriend, Jessica, really helped make the children's dreams come true. Thanks, Jessica!

Eves enjoying her toasty marshmallow.

It was quite an event opening presents with six children around and the birthday boy teething. We had a great time and both Ward and MF were appreciative but I don't think I've ever opened presents that quick before! :)

"Thanks for the presents, everybody, but I really just like to chew on this ribbon."

"Look, Daddy! Behind the back!"

"Hey, LeeAnne. Peek-A-Boo!"

Oh, this was too funny! Grandmama and Granddaddy gave Mary Fran a "Cinderella wig." Mary Fran was a little gun shy on that one but LeeAnne thought she would try it on for herself. I'm just sorry this wasn't from the front. I'll try to get one soon!

Great puzzle from the Croom's. We sure missed y'all but thanks so much for the presents and we hope y'all were able to relax and enjoy being at home with each other!

Yes, LeeAnne (aka LooLan) traveled around in this bag for a brief bit.

"Give me a smile!"

Wardy boy got his own junior sized football. He loved it!

Thanks, Grandmama and Granddaddy for the ASU jersey (to go with his USC jersey)! Go Apps!

"So, what do I do with this stuff?"

Got some "boy books" for his own bookcase. Bless his little heart!

Silly girl!

"I really am excited about this camo. Can I go hunting with you, Daddy? OK, I'll start with the crows on the back deck while you're at work."

Twirling

She was literally saying, "Thank you for coming to my party" and blessing us with her new wand.

Yet another wand Mary Fran got that she shared with her big sister.

MeMe gave Ward this "Baby Grand Piano" (that wasn't completely assembled yet). Let me tell you something, that boy already has rhythm! He was playing the piano and dancing like nobody's business!

On a side note, please look at the golden horse Evie is carrying. MeMe gave Mary Fran that horse and a "Belle" doll together and the first thing MF said was, "Look, Evie, I can have Belle and you can have the horse." "Thank you, Mary Fran. I really love horses." "I know." Now that's what I call sisterly love.

This was her favorite present (from her favorite Aunt Molly). As soon as the presents were opened, she asked me if she could put it on. Of course you can, honey.

Uncle Grayson and Jessica gave little MF an "I Spy" book, which she is a whiz at, and they have a 3D one coming in the mail for her as well. Thanks so much, guys!

Spending some quality time with PaPa on the piano. Ward also got enough money for his lifetime hunting and fishing license. What a blessing!

A little song for the send off! Thanks so much to all who came and blessed us with your presence and gifts. We had such a great time!

Little Tidbits

This past week has been busy but very good. We were gearing up for Mary Fran and Ward's joint birthday party on Saturday. Both of their birthdays are in September as well as three others in our family as well as football season so I thought it would be easier just to have their party early. More on that later....

A shot of Daddy and his little ones on Thursday night. Can I tell you how much they love their daddy?
Karen (aka Grandmama) told us she wanted to spend a day with each of the three older girls (Evie, Ruthie, and Mary Fran) one-on-one and started with Evie last Friday. They had a wonderful time eating at Panera, getting a "treat" from Claire's, reading books, and even picking out something for Mary Fran (Evie's idea). This Friday was MF's turn and she had a blast with Grandmama going to Panera, reading books, and getting hairbands from Claire's (and also picking out some for Evie). Of course, the other daughter got to have a "date with mommy" (and Ward) and Eves and I decided to go pick some blackberries right down our road and then have a tea party. Well, I didn't have any tea so we decided to have a "grape juice party." I put the Wardster down for his nap and then we got started. We had such a great time with great conversations. A house sparrow lighted on our back deck which we hadn't seen before so that was really neat to see and then figure out what it was. Evie, of course, played the part of the dainty lady and served beautifully. After a little rest time for her, she helped me finish decorating her brother and sister's birthday cakes and was an excellent helper. Stay tuned there are many BD pictures to come but you'll have to wait 'til tomorrow...

Of Tea Parties and Such

While nursing Ward before lunch today I informed the girls that today would be a great tea party day. That was met by more excitement than you could stand. Evie got the phone and called to invite her favorite cousins Ruthie and LeeAnne and her favorite Aunt Daphne. They said they would be delighted to come and so we set off for a quick lunch and then to preparations. The girls did such a great job helping me make a special treat for everyone and setting the table. Then, they got all dolled up and anxiously awaited the arrival of our distinguished guests.

These lovely ladies were just the Belles of the Ball!
LeeAnne...just too much in that tutu and hairband.
With no prince crowns in sight we decided Ward needed to wear his pirate hat. As the girls said, "He'll be a nice pirate, not a mean one." Eat him with a spoon you could!

Here are our special treats that we made...Sugar and Spice Twists. We got the recipe from a book MeMe gave us called "Silly Snacks." It calls for refrigerated breadstick dough but I got pizza dough to make more (yes, I am a carb addict). They turned out quite well except for a few misshapen ones but they tasted oh, so delectable!

Our older princesses politely waiting to be served.

LeeAnne enjoyed the soft pretzels but thought she might see if Ward would share his hard one. No go on that one but he sure was glad to see her cute little eyes over his tray!

Aunt Fran with all the Petrey young 'uns. Yes, LeeAnne wanted Ward's hat. We got one with Aunt Daphne but my pictures were all blurry. Oh, you should have seen that woman's hat! It was beautiful!

Eves got a hold of the camera and took some really great shots of the baby dolls I must say. Baby Michael had been decorated earlier this morning with Curious George stickers. Quite artistic, don't you think?

As we were saying our goodbye's to our gracious guests, we saw this fellow hanging out between our living room windows. It was a great "teachable moment" and really exciting for me as I've never seen a walking stick in the wild! Uncle Dustin, eat your heart out!

Corn, Beans, and Canners, Oh My!

Last night we hosted our friends, Boone and Rachel, for dinner. Boone is actually a "homeschool classmate" of Molly's but was always good friends with Drew and Dustin as well. This sweet young couple are expecting their first child in February and have just moved back to Boone for a while from down East. We had been looking forward to having them over and then Drew called and said the corn was going to be ready...yesterday. That was great except for the fact that you need to go on and work it up the day you get it (especially since this was picked yesterday morning and you want to take advantage of that freshness!). After calling Rachel and asking her if they wanted to reschedule or not think bad about us asking them to help us shuck and bag, she enthusiastically said, "We'd love to help. We don't mind working for our food!" See, great couple!

We had a lovely dinner complete with just picked corn on the cob, got the children tucked away in their beds, and got to work on the front porch. Let me tell you, this went the fastest I've ever seen. We shucked and bagged 9 dozen (minus the 10 ears we cooked for dinner) ears of corn in 45 minutes flat. That's got to be a world record or something! After great laughs and great conversation we said our goodbyes and went on to bed.
This morning my best helpers got to work with me getting the beans I had strung and broken yesterday ready to be canned. We washed them and put them into the jars together and then Eves filled them with water while MF put the seals and rings on. We had a great time and I think they will appreciate the beans we eat in the winter more now that they have worked for them. :) It is such a joy to teach these precious souls!

Better Late Than Never...

I have been meaning to write a post or two but just really have not had time since Friday. Therefore, please be forewarned there are multiple posts to follow. :)

Saturday we had Pop and Debbie over for brunch along with the Dustin Petrey's. Pop and Debbie have a prior commitment and won't be able to come to Ward and MF's birthday party this Saturday so we all got together for brunch. It was a gorgeous day and we had a great time eating outside...

All at once...not bad!

The boats they gave Ward were quite a hit with all the older girls. Poor Ward, he didn't get to play with them until his bath Sunday. :)

MF loved looking through one of the "workbooks" she received. She is loving doing workbooks like her big sister!

This was quite a thoughtful gift...a plate for the birthday boy or girl to eat off of on their special day for both the Drew and Dustin Petrey families. I figure when we're done with it in September we can just "frisbee" it down for Daph's day in October.

How much fun is that?

The rest of the day was full of resting and a lovely dinner down at Dus and Daph's while the boys finished putting together Ruthie and LeeAnne's swing set. Sunday was nice and relaxing and Monday brought the harvest, but more on that later...

Maturing

Our firstborn is growing up. Yes, I know that's stating the obvious but we have become increasingly aware just how much recently. We see her little heart and mind showing the molding we are, by God's grace, doing and see God's hand over her and her heart in more and more ways now. She is learning to control herself more now and taking on an even more "motherly" role in the family. She is also growing spiritually with the innocence and wonder only a child has. I say all of this as it has been on my heart quite a bit today.

As we begin doing some more "formal" education in our home it is good to be reminded that although reading, writing, and arithmetic are important and necessary things to be taught and learned the single most important job Drew and I have is to lead a life that glorifies the Lord, pleases Him, and gives our children a hunger for the things of Him and ultimately allows the Lord to work in their lives to bring them to a saving knowledge of Him. There is no greater ministry that we have as parents than to model true, authentic Christianity to our children that will be crucial in their journey to accepting salvation. It is a sobering, daunting, and most wonderful responsibility that deserves every bit of our attention and energy. Please do not misunderstand my words and think that I believe that it is solely up to Drew or I to save our children, only the Lord can draw their hearts and only they can choose to accept Him as Lord. However, we parents are blessed beyond measure to play a pivotal and eternally significant role in this most vital drama.

May I never forget that there is a spiritual realm that is infinitely bigger than what we mere mortals see. And may I never tire in the pursuit of Christ-likeness and discipleship of the precious souls that our God has seen fit to let us mold.